Miscalculation
by ElvenStrife
Summary: Lelouch decides that moving in to take Schneizel out of the game is his best course of action for the moment. It might just be the most costly mistake he's made. Schneizel/Lelouch.


**Title:** Miscalculation

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Smut/graphic sex, PWP, dub-con, yaoi (boy/boy), AU (if you want to get picky about it, but I don't see why it couldn't fit in with a bit of tweaking. Isn't every fanfic really AU when you think about it?)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion_ or any recognisable characters/places. They belong to their original creators and I am borrowing them purely for some fun. No money is being made from this.

**Summary: **Lelouch decides that moving in to take Schneizel out of the game is his best course of action for the moment. It might just be the most costly mistake he's made. Schneizel/Lelouch.

**A/N: **Hey, guys! So I brought out another long oneshot. Aha. I'm actually in the middle of my exams at the moment (statistics tomorrow, yay~), so everything is hectic and this probably wasn't the best time for me to decide I wanted to write this! But I did. I got it done and I hope it's not rushed or awful. I'm whacking an AU label on this because I've lengthened the time between Schneizel and Lelouch's chess match and the wedding (it was originally the day after, but I've added another 24 hours or so just so I can squeeze this in and so Kallen hasn't been captured yet). It doesn't line up with all the events and I don't have time to re-watch the episodes and insert all the tiny details, so that's why I'm including that warning. Because things get nasty there in R2. ;) Anyway, I hope it's not bad and please enjoy the smut!

* * *

**Miscalculation**

The tension could have been sliced with a butter knife. It would have shattered into pieces and left everyone in the room bleeding from the puncture wounds. Even so, at least then it would be over and the suspense wouldn't be hanging in the atmosphere like a toxin. Lelouch knew how vital a moment this was and what it would mean if he failed. If he was sure about one thing, however, it was that he hadn't underestimated Schneizel.

The second prince of Britannia was only metres away on a raised platform, expression politely inquisitive. He never looked upset or worried. He always knew he had the upper hand. Even now, facing down the barrel of a gun, that patiently superior glint in his eyes was burning harder than ever. It was something Lelouch was always faced with: from the chess games they would play as children, to this very moment. The one person he had never been able to defeat.

That ended today, however. Kallen shifted nervously behind him, eyeing the Britannian guards who had drawn weapons on them. The circle of metal did little to deter Zero, who stood poised, gun aimed at the blonde devil smirking over them. "Are you really willing to risk losing this opportunity?" He asked, voice booming deeper through the helmet. He appealed to his brother's competitive side, knowing that self-preservation would hardly be as persuasive.

Schneizel moved down the few steps, drawing level with Zero. He ignored Kanon and Suzaku's subtle protests as if he hadn't even realised them.

They stood in a long hall, one of the places of address within the settlement. Schneizel had been in the middle of his speech when Zero had dropped like a fly through the back window with his trusted pilot busting in through the doors, guards falling limp outside. It had only been possible through Zero's control over the other guards watching vigilantly over the building from the back, otherwise they were outnumbered. The Geass never failed.

The audience was watching on in silent shock and the guards were shifting anxiously as they awaited orders to finally apprehend the renowned terrorist who had seemingly presented himself on a silver platter—which was exactly the impression Lelouch had wanted to give them. He was here for a reason, of course, and that was to gain Schneizel as a pawn. Once the prince was under his control, his orders would overrule all and getting out would not be a problem. He was a powerful piece and Zero would finally claim him. Things were growing intense, to a point where every move determined an outcome. There was no room for error right now, and Lelouch was taking the offensive.

"And a great opportunity you have presented me with, indeed," Schneizel said, voice calm but loud enough so all could hear him. He almost sounded amused. "To converse with you privately. I could just have you killed right now."

"We both know there's a high chance you'd get shot first," Zero said. "And an even higher chance it'd be fatal."

Silence, and then Schneizel smiled. "But you did not come here to kill me, Zero. As theatrical as you are, breaking in here to slaughter me in front of a few hundred people and battle through the guards on your way out was hardly your intention. It's too sloppy." Zero had to give him that much. "However, I will admit I am curious to hear what it is you have to say. Might it be that the great Zero is becoming... desperate?"

Zero knew it was bait and he was supposed to react, so he deliberately didn't. Every sentence with Schneizel had to be well thought out and used intelligently. Every conversation was a deadly verbal competition, and he was determined to get the man alone so he could get what he needed.

It had started when Ohgi was telling him about the scheduled address in the hall the previous day. He'd been looking through the intel they'd recently acquired from a raid near the eastern side of the city when he'd looked up. "Prince Schneizel himself is leaving the Damocles to address some military men and high-ranked Britannian officials tomorrow afternoon."

That had caught Zero's attention, though he masked his interest. _'Why would he do that when he can just communicate from the ship?'_ It didn't make sense.

Ohgi continued, guessing he had Zero's attention. "This is only a brief memo, but it mentions him inspecting some of the new Knightmare frames as well. It's possible he's organised the two to coincide so he can knock them both out with the one trip."

"Making a speech in person will raise the soldiers' morale and intensify the seriousness of this war," Zero said. He was trying to figure it out himself, knowing Schneizel was a strategist and would not make any unnecessary moves. He also knew that this information could not be false since their attack on the patrol group had not been anticipated and the report for new Knightmare frames had been confirmed with three other unconnected transmissions.

That left them with a very valuable opportunity: acquiring the loyalty of a Britannian prince.

His failure during the chess match with his brother had left him with a wounded pride and a lingering worry. Schneizel, even through his blatantly illegal move, had won. He had never been looking for a victory from that point in the match—he had just wanted to know Zero. If he couldn't have his face, he would have his personality. That meant he had something of value to offer Schneizel: a chance to get closer to the masked terrorist.

He had started planning immediately. He had chosen to only bring Kallen for the mission since a whole team would have been messy and drawn too much attention. Things had gone well so far, except for the length of time it was taking Schneizel to agree to a private audience.

When it was obvious the terrorist wasn't rising to his bait, Schneizel smiled elegantly and swept a piece of golden hair back from his face. "If I agree, what comes of your pilot?"

"Sire-" Suzaku stepped down protectively and lifted a forearm to block Schneizel and prevent him from moving closer to the armed Zero. _'Déjà vu,'_ thought Lelouch as he stared at his old friend and brother's bodyguard.

"Stand down, Knight of Seven," Schneizel said calmly and the eleven backed down without hesitation. His emerald eyes clouded with emotion—fury at Zero, worry for his prince, panic over failing his duty a second time, conflict between doing what he thought was right and what he had been told to do. Everything was an inner war with Suzaku. Lelouch had never understood why he made things so hard for himself, but he'd be lying if he told himself there wasn't pity there for his childhood friend.

"I'll surrender my gun and accompany you aboard the Damocles," Zero said. Once he had Schneizel, he had the whole ship. There would be no wager this time, no competition.

"Zero, what do you think you're doing?" Kallen hissed at him out of the corner of her mouth. She didn't take her eyes off the guards surrounding them. "You'd be outnumbered and unarmed."

"If you have a brain, you're never unarmed," Zero returned in a soft tone. "I know what I'm doing."

That shut her up. She trusted him and was confident he wouldn't leap into anything he hadn't thought through. The redhead traded a look with Suzaku, a mutual understanding passing between the pair. They were both reluctant to let their superiors go forward with this but powerless to prevent it. They hid their frustration well, but Zero still picked up on it.

"Do you agree?" Zero asked.

Schneizel's expression masked his surprise at Zero giving himself over so easily. He knew the terrorist would have to have something else up his sleeve. "The catch?"

Schneizel never missed a beat. "The Knight of Seven goes with my pilot. In case I don't return." It was a lame excuse, but he needed Suzaku gone. His Geass would not work on the other boy and it was a safeguard to have him as far away as possible. Plus there was always the slim chance Kallen might reach some common ground with him.

Suzaku made to protest, but Schneizel had already bought it, accepting it since it was the same as their deal just over a day ago. "Agreed." He waved a hand and the Britannian guards lowered their weapons. Their gazes were still wary and they only took small steps back, but they stood down. "Kururugi, go."

Suzaku made it clear he didn't want to by hesitating and looking up at the prince, but arrogant purple eyes met green and the eleven remembered his place. He bowed and made his way obediently to the Guren pilot, who took her cue from Zero and left. She knew to wait at the nearest safe house. Even if she exposed Suzaku to it, they had more, and something told her Zero probably wouldn't need it much longer anyway. If he managed to somehow conquer Schneizel, that gave them a huge amount of leverage and it was a small price to pay.

The doors closed after them and minutes passed before Zero dropped his gun and let it thud to the floor. Instantly, the guards reacted, but Schneizel stilled them with a hand. "No. Don't act unless I order you to."

"Your highness," Kanon said politely, coming up behind the blonde. Schneizel nodded and the advisor collected the weapon, neatly holding it as he stepped back by his liege. The man had always intrigued Lelouch; Schneizel seemed to trust him with a lot, and little was known about him. That made him a bit dangerous. Lelouch would need to be cautious with him.

Schneizel's expression was inscrutable. He stepped forward, looking down at Zero, silently noting again that he had expected the infamous terrorist to be... taller. He had ulterior motives for this as well—this private meeting would help him get to know the masked man better and build a profile. Their chess match from not so long ago had already left him with a few buzzing possibilities.

They were both playing a dangerous game and were as intelligent and competitive as each other. Lelouch had never managed to best Schneizel in the past, which left him with an involuntary thread of doubt. He would not let that calm face perturb him, however. He made a small gesture with his hand and the blonde inclined his head. "Let us be off."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It was all Kallen could do not to turn around and retrace her steps. She forced herself to walk forward, keeping an eye on Suzaku even though she knew he'd be no problem. Schneizel had given him an order and he was loyal enough to obey. He also wouldn't risk screwing things up if this was their chance to apprehend Zero.

Even if his intentions were against hers, she knew he'd play along.

She moved down the street quickly, not sure how much time she had. There was no guarantee they wouldn't be intercepted after Zero went with Schneizel, and she was wearing her Black Knight uniform. It was marked clearly and stood out in the afternoon sun. She kept to the darker streets and used what she knew of the settlement to steer her way out of it as quickly and quietly as possible. It took about twenty minutes to reach the safe house she had in mind.

Suzaku hadn't said a word and she wondered if he was trying to plan something, but reassured herself again with her previous reasoning and moved towards the rundown shack on the outskirts of the Shinjuku area. Finally, Suzaku spoke up.

"Shinjuku?"

"Barely," Kallen replied, pushing open the weakened door and striding in. He followed after her and looked around. The place was small, but intact. There were few windows, sealing it off from the outside world, and everything appeared to be in working order inside the house. "We only had to fix up a few things to preserve it and the Britannian authorities don't care much for this place anymore."

Suzaku detected the note of regret in her voice. "You know, less people would have died in that attack if Lel—"

Kallen whirled on him. "_Zero_ saved people that day, Suzaku! You know it's true, so don't bother lying. Britannia was going to cut down the Japanese people living here like useless cattle; like they were less than human. No one would have been spared—not man, woman, or child."

Suzaku fell silent, green eyes shining defiantly. "If they had just cooperated, it wouldn't have turned out like that. Violence is never the answer."

"Britannia had no problem using it to demonstrate their power," the redhead replied heatedly. She stared him down, daring him to fuel the argument some more, but they both knew it was useless. Neither would give any ground and they'd only exhaust themselves trying to bring up a convincing point. Everything had been said before and it wasn't like some new point of interest would suddenly arise to give one of them an epiphany. So Suzaku let it drop and moved past her, going to sit in one of the hard-backed chairs near the wooden table taking up most of the main room.

Kallen took a moment to breathe and calm down, cursing her former school mate's stubbornness. She moved through the open doorway and poured them each a glass of water. Zero had only bothered to salvage the place because of its intact water supply, which had been pure luck.

She dropped one in front of Suzaku, ignored his thanks, and sat down across from him. She was quiet as she examined him, trying to gauge his thoughts. He was hiding any possible anxiety or concern, but she guessed it was there. He shifted, brushing a brown lock of hair out of his boyish face and met her stare. "Who knows how long we'll be here," he said with a sigh. "It'd probably be easier if you didn't watch me like a predator the whole time. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," she said, realising she believed it. "I was just trying to figure out how you feel about the entire situation."

"I'm considering what Zero might be up to," Suzaku said, leaning back in his chair. He tapped his fingers against the wood and grabbed his cup, taking a sip. Licking his lips, he said, "He never does anything without a plan and purpose. Did he talk to you about it?"

"No," Kallen admitted. "But if he had, I wouldn't tell you anything anyway."

"I'd already assumed as much, but it was worth a shot."

Silence hit them again hard and Kallen sipped from her cup to stop from fidgeting. Suzaku did likewise and then threw his gaze about the small house again. "Aren't you worried about showing me this place?"

"We have more," she replied. "But it's close and convenient, and I doubt we'll need to use it again. Whatever happens between Zero and Prince Schneizel will have a large effect on the war. If things escalate, there'll be no need to hide or fall back."

Suzaku nodded. That he couldn't argue with. "I only wish I was there to do my duty and protect the prince."

"You can't tell me you're seriously loyal to that guy," Kallen scoffed. She dragged a foot across the ground and shifted her position on the chair.

"He has the power to end this war and Japan's safety pretty much rests in his hands," the eleven argued. "I am a Knight of the Round. How dare you question my loyalty."

She backed off, too tired to fight with him, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was only quarter to five. It had barely been half an hour. Suzaku seethed as he followed her gaze and picked up on what she was thinking, resting back again with a soft noise of impatience. It looked like they were in for a long stay here and the most they seemed to be able to talk about landed them in an argument. For the moment, there was a silent mutual agreement to keep conversation to a minimum.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

As soon as Zero's feet touched the floor of the Damocles, Gino and Anya were there to greet their prince. Gino's eyes were firmly glued to the terrorist and he made no effort to hide his gawking, not expecting Zero to be tagging along. When they'd received word the prime minister was returning, they hadn't expected him to have such an important guest in toe.

"Where's Kururugi?" Gino asked.

"With the Guren pilot," Schneizel said, noticing the way Gino's blue eyes glinted and brightened a little. He brushed past the blonde and the silent Anya, gesturing at Zero to follow him.

He paused near the railing to a few steps and turned back. "I am going to be entertaining Zero privately in my personal chamber for an indeterminable amount of time. I am not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Am I clear?"

Gino bowed and muttered an affirmative, but the prince shifted his gaze to Kanon who had followed them up with a handful of guards. The redhead also bowed. "It is understood, your highness."

Satisfied that Kanon would sooner die than fail one of his orders, Schneizel turned and continued to lead Zero through an automatic door that stretched into a corridor. The cockpit was just to their left, with an assortment of adjoining halls to their right. A flight of stairs in the corner led down to the engineering quadrants of the ship. Schneizel didn't need to use those much and he didn't even grace them with a glance as he passed them by.

Lelouch followed in silence, observing the route as he went and memorising other sections of the huge machine—which was essentially what it was. He was mildly surprised Schneizel's subordinates let him disappear with a terrorist so easily, but he was unarmed and he knew he was at the disadvantage here. That was probably enough to convince them. If they knew the specifics of his power, things would be different.

They wound through three different elaborately decorated halls, one of which seemed to branch off into guest rooms, and another which had an open door at the end with a long table and a man dressed in military garb visible. When they reached Schneizel's room, Lelouch very well thought they might have been in a luxurious hotel. The door was gold, with elegant patterns crafted into it.

He had been expecting them to converse in a room more like that of where he had seen the military officer—assumedly a general. When the prince had said his own personal quarters, he was surprised. That was hardly the place for an official terrorist negotiation, but he allowed it. Questioning Schneizel would only make him seem like a trapped victim, asserting some sort of desperate plea with the kidnapper. He was here of his own free will and was hardly a victim.

Schneizel opened the door and let Zero enter first, closing the door with a clean click after him. Lelouch heard the mechanism click again and tilted his head to the side in an inquisitive movement. "To prevent interruptions," Schneizel explained.

Schneizel moved across the room and eased off his white robe, draping it over the back of a gold-trimmed red couch. He looked more agile and ready for physical combat in just his long purple tunic and white pants, a belt hugging his slender waist. He leant a hand against the chair and ushered the terrorist forward.

The room was just as impressive as the man. A four-poster bed took up most of the room, sheets of a yellow silk adorning it—Lelouch would have guessed Egyptian Cotton, but that was too cliché for his brother. Three two-seaters surrounded a circular table, each the same cream colour as the one Schneizel was currently leaning against. A vase sat in the centre of the table, holding a few white roses. _'White king, indeed.'_

The wardrobe and drawers that took up the left side of the room were just as large and lavish as the bed, and entirely unnecessary. A floor-length mirror stood out between two wardrobes and Lelouch wondered how often the prince used it. He also wondered if he had enough clothes to fill up both of those wardrobes. Considering he rarely showed much variety to how he dressed, he doubted it. Two or three of the same robes were probably all he needed. Prince Schneizel was not one for indulging in unnecessary things, so it didn't fit his personality.

Lelouch took a seat, sinking down into the chair Schneizel was leaning against. He laid his arm on the chair's arm and stared ahead. "Why speak in your room? Is it not a little informal?"

"My room is the only area on the Damocles that isn't littered with bugs and cameras," Schneizel replied. He lowered himself into the chair across from Zero, bridging his fingers as he examined the terrorist.

"That's considerate of you."

"I thought you'd be more open without the pressure of watching everything you say," Schneizel said.

"And how do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't," the blonde replied earnestly. "But right now I want you to be _yourself_. I'm selfish, Zero. I want to be the only one able to speak with you right now. You asked for a private audience. Don't insult my honour; a private audience is what you shall receive."

Lelouch took a moment to evaluate the words and compare them with what he knew of his half-brother's personality. Despite what Schneizel was capable of, he was proud. Honour came with pride. He knew the words wouldn't be false, though all he had to go on was his personal assumption. Schneizel might be willing to do anything to get the information he wanted, so the terrorist still had to be careful.

Schneizel pushed himself up from the chair and circled behind it, pouring a glass of scotch from the platter that was rested on a glass table near the window. "So what is it you wanted to discuss with me?" He finally asked, not looking back.

Zero let his hand fall from the arm of the chair to his own knee and watched the prince sip from his alcohol. This was it: his chance. He stood and moved around the chair slowly. "I came here to acquire your cooperation."

Schneizel didn't turn around. "I don't make a habit of aiding terrorists."

"Not even to protect innocent lives?" Zero tested, needing the blonde to turn.

"If you cared so much for those lives, you'd turn yourself in," Schneizel said softly. "What has driven you to seek out a peaceful resolution, Zero? The war has gone too far to stop now. Aren't you committed to your fight?"

"Of course I am," Lelouch said, letting it slip before he meant to, trying to rein back the anger leaking into his voice. "I can make this a worthwhile trade for you, however, Schneizel. I'm not talking about bargaining with the whole of Britannia—I just want you."

Schneizel turned to face the masked man, drinking from his glass, a small object in his left hand. Lelouch saw him turn and activated the small component of his mask that lifted to reveal his left eye, ready to issue his command, when he caught sight of the grey flash. He had a second in which he could speak an order, question the device, or retreat to a distance. His brief confusion cost him the time to do any and he croaked out a half-syllable that died on his tongue. Schneizel had seen the red ring encircling the exposed eye and it was already too late. Questions and possibilities had already entered his mind, even as he struck out with the object.

It tore through the thin white layer of scarf protecting Zero's throat, landing in skin, one the more easily pierced parts of the outfit. Lelouch recognised the object as soon as it stung: a syringe. Panic flooded his mind and he whirled backwards, slapping the prince's hand away. But the damage had been done.

"I'm very curious," Schneizel said quietly. "Very curious about that power of yours. I am not willing to take chances. Whatever it is, you won't use it to get what you want here."

"Schneizel!" Zero bit out, and the fury in his tone this time was obvious. His vision was flickering behind the mask and he stepped back again, sinking to his knees. He had been a fool to assume his brother wouldn't try anything, would _negotiate_ with him when he had the power to do more. He also cursed his own stupidity in not issuing a command as soon as he had seen those calm lilac eyes meet his own.

"I won't expose you to anyone else," Schneizel said, and Lelouch felt another flare of panic. He glimpsed the smile on the older man's face as he fell onto his side, darkness encroaching on the edges of his vision. "When I said I was selfish, I wasn't lying."

Lelouch could not be unconscious with this man, entirely at his mercy, exposed to him. He _hated_ Schneizel. He couldn't let the man win again. He pushed back and struggled, but it was weak and embarrassing so he stopped immediately. There was nothing he could do now. He had made a huge mistake. He had been too intent on his own plan and overlooked his brother's. He had moved the wrong piece and now Schneizel was closing in on his king, knocking him over effortlessly. And Lelouch was defenceless

The last thing he heard was the clink of Schneizel's glass hitting the platter as he put it down and stepped over his prey.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"It's been over an hour," Suzaku said, breaking through the silence which seemed to have become permanent. It felt strange to hear a voice again and Kallen blinked, startled.

"You didn't think their negotiations were going to be quick and easy, did you?" She said.

Suzaku shook his head and stood, stretching out his legs and holding back a wince as the blood started flowing through his body again. He didn't want to be here too long, to the point where they'd need sleep, because that would be a messy situation. Neither would be willing to take their eye off the other. "No, but I assumed an agreement would be reached that would keep us from just waiting around for an indefinite amount of time."

"You're insurance," Kallen said, rolling her eyes. Deep down, she knew that was only part of the reason Suzaku was here; Zero had just wanted him out of the way. "I don't think your feelings on the issue really matter."

Suzaku turned to raise a thin eyebrow at her, barely biting back a scoff. He sighed and started pacing about the room, stretching out in his white uniform to try and ease his aching muscles. "Will Zero contact you?"

She tapped a radio against her hip. "Yeah."

"Can you contact him on it?"

Her blue eyes narrowed a little and she pursed her lips, eyes tracking his movements across the wooden floorboards. "Yes, I can, but I'm not going to satisfy your own impatient curiosity. I don't want to interrupt an important discussion."

"You're just as curious and impatient as I am," Suzaku replied offhandedly, stopping to stare at her for a minute. He then resumed pacing like he didn't really care either way, but it was growing darker outside. Kallen was just as reluctant as he was to be stuck here through the night.

"Fine," she said after a moment, causing him to stop pacing again. "But only if you cut out that goddamned pacing. It's driving me nuts."

"Sorry," Suzaku said, approaching the table again. "Habit. Plus I needed to stretch."

She didn't say anything and unclipped her radio from her hip, lifting it to her mouth. Pressing in the button on the side, the static flared and faded so she could speak. "Zero?" She questioned. "This is Q1, reporting. What's the situation?"

Static was the only response.

She glanced up at Suzaku and tried again. "Zero, come in." Still nothing. "Zero?"

"Weird," Suzaku said, frowning at the device. "Does he make a habit of ignoring the only form of communication he has with the Black Knights?"

Kallen scowled at him. "Like I said before, he's probably in the middle of an important discussion with Schneizel, so can it. He'll probably lecture me for the interruption later."

Suzaku sighed and lowered himself back into the chair, staring at the wood of the table. His bright eyes glowed in the darkening air and he looked incredibly bored. Kallen almost pitied him—almost. "All we can do is keep waiting then," he said reluctantly. She nodded. The idea was just as unappealing to her too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The first thing Lelouch experienced when he opened his eyes was a disconcerting moment where he wasn't sure if he was still partially unconscious or one of his eyes was no longer working. He winced against the sudden light that flooded in through his right pupil, but his left eye only found darkness. It took thirty seconds to determine what was covering his eye.

It was a heavy contraption that sat like an eye patch, but left not a slither of visibility. It encircled his head and he could only assume it was locked or tied at the back. He shook his chin a little, but it didn't budge. He couldn't get it off. The only progress he made was a splitting headache that made him briefly want to vomit.

The more pressing issue was the light keeping his right eye narrow; his mask was gone. In his last few seconds of consciousness, he had anticipated as much. Schneizel wouldn't pass up such a priceless opportunity to learn Zero's identity. This was bad—very bad.

"You're awake," a voice shattered through his pounding head. He looked over to see Schneizel standing off to the side, leaning on a doorframe that seemed to disappear into a private bathroom.

Lelouch didn't say anything. He couldn't. _'He knows who I am and my eye is covered. I can't do a thing! I can't make him forget. How long have I been unconscious?' _He shifted his arms, but they were attached to the ornate headboard of the bed. He pulled again against the handcuffs, knowing it was useless. He wouldn't even have the strength to break out of rope, so handcuffs would be impossible.

"A part of me suspected it was you," Schneizel continued after watching the slim figure on the bed struggle briefly. "That chess match strengthened my suspicions, but I had to be sure."

"Schneizel!" Lelouch cursed, finally finding his voice. He hated how gravelly it sounded from its lack of use. He lifted his knees, bracing his feet against the sheets to try and give himself more stability. "This is cowardice."

"No one else has seen your face, dear brother-"

"I'm not your brother."

Schneizel paused then, a sultry look passing over his features and disappearing quickly. "I am glad you're alive. How have you been over the last decade, Lelouch?"

The banished prince didn't like the way his name rolled off the blonde's tongue. It had been so long since he had heard him utter his name. Schneizel deliberately emphasised it, curling his tongue sensually around the syllables, milking it for all he could. It was effective. "Like you care." He didn't like how informal things were. This was too personal. He felt trapped, which he was.

"I did always care for you and Nunnally," Schneizel said, his sister's name making Lelouch's stomach clench again. "Even if I accepted our father's decision, I did think of you regularly."

"Your father," Lelouch amended again, fixing his one eye on the prince with renewed determination. What did Schneizel hope to gain from this? "And we made no difference to you alive or dead. But I protected her. It was more than the rest of her family did."

"Is that why you're doing all this?" Schneizel asked, eyes darkening as he let a smile twitch his lips. "For Nunnally?"

Lelouch knew he had said too much and wired his jaw shut. He had to plan; talking would only distract him. He needed to get this patch off his eye so he could dominate Schneizel and undo all of this. When it was clear he wasn't going to respond, the blonde moved closer and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped and Lelouch turned his gaze away.

"You've grown so much," Schneizel said.

"Spare me your sentimentalism," Lelouch drawled. He could try and convince his brother to take the patch off, but Schneizel was no idiot. He could kick his brother and hope he landed a blow to the older man's temple, rendering him unconscious, but he wasn't sure he had the precision and strength to get it done first go. With his hands bound, he couldn't try and pull at the contraption hindering his vision either.

"If you're trying to plan an escape, save yourself the effort," Schneizel said. The smile lingered on his features as he caught the raven-haired boy's eyes again. "The cuffs and eye patch require keys, both of which I have. You won't be given a chance to use that power of yours to cheat against me. Play fair, little brother. I've always enjoyed our games."

Lelouch pressed his teeth together, trying not to let any fear leak into his mind. Schneizel would slip up. He just had to wait. "So why do this? I was going to converse with you openly. This was unnecessary."

"You were going to bend me to your will," Schneizel said, eyes flashing. "I'm not stupid, Lelouch. Like this, I have the upper hand."

Lelouch made a derisive noise and Schneizel chuckled, lifting a hand to brush some hair away from the boy's face, ignoring his jerk. "Who else would have thought? The great Zero, murderer and saviour of the people... a school boy. A Britannian: a prince. Do your precious knights know?" Lelouch didn't say anything. "... As I thought. They'd leave you, wouldn't they? Despite all you've done for them."

"What do you want, Schneizel?" Lelouch asked, not bothering to hide the exasperation in his tone. He was uncomfortable with this conversation, and Schneizel's hand, and he felt suffocated. He didn't like having no control.

Silence elapsed, which only made Lelouch tense, and then Schneizel moved completely onto the bed. He was graceful, like an approaching predator, and Lelouch almost tried to squirm away. He didn't humiliate himself like that though and just stared into those eyes, a lighter shade than his own, daring the prince to make his move.

Schneizel laid a hand against the smaller man's chest, spreading his fingers out. "To win, Lelouch," he whispered. "Whenever we battle, it's always my intention to defeat you."

Lelouch didn't like the way Schneizel touched him, the tone of his voice, or the glint in his narrowed eyes. He monitored his breathing and stared up coolly. "So you're going to expose me?"

"I'm challenging you to a much more personal battle, little brother," Schneizel said.

Schneizel had always been the hardest person for Lelouch to figure out. It was partly because his older brother was just as capable a strategist as the banished prince was, and partly because—though Lelouch was loathe to admit it—he had admired the blonde during his childhood. He had practically idolised him, able to identify a successful and superior creature when he saw one. In the back of his mind he knew a part of himself just _wouldn't_ beat Schneizel. He had placed them on different levels, made Schneizel untouchable on his higher platform, and he had paid for it since then. He was determined to bring him crashing back down though, no matter what it took. Their chess games as children were just Lelouch's attempts to get stronger. This—_this_—was competition. There was no admiration in their game now.

When Lelouch was quiet with his thoughts, Schneizel prompted a response by caressing his hand down Lelouch's chest, running his fingertips over the surprisingly smooth material of the Zero costume. It made the skinny boy seem bigger than he actually was: both in height and weight. He could feel how fragile his brother was beneath the clothing, could see the slight heel on the shoes.

"You want to have me tortured for information?" Lelouch asked, wishing he could slap away the hand touching him. He already knew torture was not on the cards right now, not with the cat-like smirk on his brother's beautiful face and the hand running over his torso.

"Hardly," Schneizel chuckled. "All I want from you, Lelouch, is simple: obedience."

Lelouch's pride roared. "I won't give in to Britannia. You might as well kill me."

"Oh, I'm not talking about Britannia." Schneizel smiled. He wanted his brother broken. Lelouch had always been filled with such passionate hatred and determination. He wanted to undo that, as well as that perfect control, and utterly destroy him. What threat was a broken terrorist? No more dangerous than a mentally traumatised child playing dress-up.

His thoughts must have been noticeable on his face, for the dark-haired boy's eyes were narrowing with contempt. "What are you planning, Schneizel?"

"If I told you, it'd take the fun out of it," Schneizel replied, tilting his head in a polite manner, as if to excuse himself for not listening. Really, he was dismissing the topic.

Lelouch wasn't prepared for when his brother leant over him, placing some weight on his chest, to snatch his mouth in a deep kiss. Even if he had been trying to figure out a motivation for the touches and subtle hints, he hadn't been expecting this. He hadn't thought his brother would be this twisted. It was all he could do to suppress the nausea that rose inside of him and wrench his head away.

"We're brothers and enemies!" Lelouch reprimanded him, voice sharpening as his anger and shock took over. "We're _boys_. What the hell are you thinking?"

Schneizel's smile stayed where it was and he licked his lips. "Consider your situation, little brother," he murmured, running his hand back down the helpless chest. "You're tied up, on my ship, and surrounded by Britannians. You literally can't get out of this. Even your unique little power is useless right now."

He was quiet, letting Lelouch think on it, hand drifting lower. He felt the slightest shift reverberate through the mattress as the terrorist wriggled involuntarily, not liking the direction this was taking. "You aren't going anywhere, so you might as well try and enjoy your stay," the blonde finally whispered, pressing his palm against the arch of Lelouch's legs

Lelouch closed his thighs, trying to seal himself off from his brother, the nausea growing as he started to worry; this wasn't at all what he had expected. _'Dammit, Schneizel! Is this some sort of tactic?'_ He was sure the man couldn't be serious... though... no, he refused to think on it. "Don't touch me!" He ordered, wishing his eye was uncovered.

As the boy closed his legs, it only locked Schneizel's hand in place, and the prince kept methodically applying pressure to the closed length he could make out through the fabric. He kept his gaze on those expressive violet eyes, barely blinking, not wanting to miss a single reaction. This was already having a greater effect than he had hoped.

"We're _brothers_!" Lelouch said again. "This is disgustingly low, even you for, Schneizel."

"Really, Lelouch?" Schneizel purred, leaning over the boy to kiss at the side of his throat again. The pulse there was hammering and it satisfied him to know how he was derailing his brother's precious composure. Even if he kept his tone in check, the physiological reactions were betraying the raven-haired boy. "Think about why I might be doing this and tell me it's not ingenious. Besides, observe your current behaviour."

Lelouch knew he was just fuelling Schneizel with his reactions and willed himself to calm down, but the blonde was still palming him through his pants and it was invasive. A girl hadn't even touched him there yet and he hadn't had a very noticeable sex drive—he'd been occupied with more important things. Now his own _brother_ was touching him _there_. It was hard to even think rationally.

Schneizel breathed out a soft noise and held Lelouch's chin while he kissed him forcefully, sliding it around to cup the back of his head. He held him still, stopping him from escaping the deep contact, hand moving faster. Lelouch was a teenager—it should be inevitable that... ah, there. He felt the barest stir beneath his fingers.

"Has anyone touched you here?" He asked, slowly breaking the kiss.

Lelouch's breathing was erratic. "Get off of me now," he hissed, hoping his brother was joking, that this was all a strategy.

"I'll take that as a no?" Another twitch through the pants. Lelouch started to flush as he felt his body react, betraying every hysterical thought running through his mind. Even if Schneizel was a man, they were brothers, and this was completely against his wishes, his body was a machine. A machine that was currently receiving pleasure and processing it accordingly. He wriggled again, hoping to stop the blonde for just a _second_ so he could exert some sort of control over the response, but it only intensified the touch. He bit down on a gasp.

"Is the body independent of the mind after all?" Schneizel asked philosophically, though the question wasn't directed at his brother. "Or are you actually aroused by this situation, little brother?"

The term was purred against the shell of Lelouch's ear, drawing a shiver from him. He closed his eyes, shielding whatever might be shining in them, and tried to block out Schneizel's voice. If only he would just stop for the briefest moment! He needed to think, to control himself, but he felt so overwhelmed. _'Just a second... just stop for a second! Give me one second, Schneizel!'_

But the second didn't come. Schneizel kept rubbing until Lelouch was hard, his erection pressing against the material of Zero's pants, creating a small contoured outline. Schneizel licked the ear near his mouth. "It feels good, doesn't it, Lelouch? Why should it matter that we are _half_-brothers?" He emphasised the detail.

"It's wrong!" Lelouch protested, eyes flashing open. He was shuddering a little, willing his erection to go away—an erection caused by _Schneizel's_ hands. It was revolting.

Schneizel only kissed him again, long and hard, still holding his head. "My, my," he murmured, smirking. "So hostile."

Lelouch pulled at the handcuffs again, wishing they were a defected pair that might be easily broken. He had no such luck. His tugs became a little more desperate as Schneizel unzipped the front of his shirt, the sound of it loud and intrusive in the room—_Schneizel's _room. It was pushed to either side of his waist, revealing his small frame.

Schneizel then undid the light blue vest and slipped a hand up underneath to touch his brother's skin. As soon as it made contact, Lelouch shivered and Schneizel felt it. He grinned down at the boy, unable to strip his torso completely. Leaving the rumpled jabot and undone vest and shirt where they were had a nice effect, however; Lelouch looked so unkempt.

"Schneizel, stop," Lelouch said again softly. His brother had to be bluffing. "If you're trying to prove a point here, just say it. Don't embarrass yourself."

Schneizel leant in as his fingers found a soft nipple, pinching it. He heard the terrorist's breath hitch in the back of his throat with a small click. "You're the only one blushing here, little brother," he said factually, making it sound even worse to Lelouch's ears.

"Stop!" He commanded.

Schneizel licked the corner of his mouth. "No."

It was so simple, so calm, and Lelouch hated it. He was powerless. He couldn't do a thing without his Geass. He wasn't strong enough to kick the prince off, and even then he'd get nowhere fast. He really was totally defenceless and it _frightened _him. Was he so dependent on his Geass? How had his plan gone this awry? He fought to stop his devastation from showing, for it was one of the few things he could actually control right now.

Schneizel's golden head fell down to his chest as he pushed the vest and undershirt up and Lelouch opened his mouth, but closed it again when he felt wet lips encircle the nipple that had previously been receiving attention. He tensed and started to arch, but snapped his spine straight again with a small grunt of frustration. He couldn't let Schneizel win. If it was the only thing he could do, it was not let his brother get what he wanted: victory.

Schneizel nipped lightly, rolling his tongue out to press against the small bud. Even if Lelouch struggled to contain his reactions, he could feel the body beneath him stiffen and twist, even the slightest movement noticeable to him. It would be easy to make Lelouch lose control and even gain pleasure from this, which would make it all the more traumatic. He closed his eyes as he licked to stop from smiling at the thought.

"Schneizel! Stop!" Lelouch said again, and the blonde had to commend him for having an even voice. When he bit down, Lelouch let out a mewl and fell silent. The sound was delicate and so soft it was almost missed. Almost.

He dropped a hand to Zero's pants and toyed with the zip, lowering it dramatically, expecting the flood of protests that came instantly with the action. He stopped the tirade with a kiss, pressing his tongue in before Lelouch could seal his lips to prevent the invasion. He swallowed the half-moan that slipped out as his wrapped his fingers around Lelouch's bare length, snaking his hand inside the opening.

'_He's actually serious!'_ Lelouch felt genuine fear that escalated to the point where he nearly hyperventilated. His apprehension and anxiety turned into _terror_ and he twisted his head to the side, desperation leaking into his voice so it wasn't so much an order this time; "Schneizel, stop!"

"Why? You're enjoying it," Schneizel said. He sat back, releasing Lelouch to pull the pants down his narrow hips. It took a few minutes to wrestle the complicated garment off the boy's feet and get it out of the way, revealing long legs that shifted shyly under the scrutiny. "You're quite beautiful, little brother, though it does run in the family."

"You really are disgusting," Lelouch snapped, reverting to insults when frustration got the better of him. He felt hideously exposed and wanted to ask Schneizel to stop staring at him, but his pride wouldn't allow it—and he knew the prince wouldn't comply anyway.

"We'll see who feels more disgusting in a few hours," Schneizel said, offering the slightest chuckle as he took Lelouch in hand again and pressed a thumb to the slit of his cock.

Lelouch's eyes rolled back in his head as he closed them, hands curling into fists as he pulled again at the handcuffs and closed his thighs. It didn't deny Schneizel access to that part of him, however, and only increased his helplessness. The thumb pressing against his length started to rub, all fingers curling around to encircle the sensitive flesh. The strokes were slow and deliberate, each one caressing precise areas that were intended to drive the banished prince insane.

His logic and rationality began to cloud, the one thing he used against others that helped him gain an advantage. It was fading into a cloud of shame and pleasure. He hated how his cock twitched in his brother's palm, how his blush intensified with every lick against the delicate whorl of his ear, how his breathing became erratic and uneven. He _hated_ Schneizel—truly hated him. "S-stop-" he finally forced out, needing it to stop so he could think again. Without his thoughts, he was nothing.

Schneizel smiled at the whispered demand, not so much a demand anymore as it was a soft plea. "It's so obvious you're enjoying the attention, so why don't you force me to stop?"

The bastard damn well knew he was stronger than Lelouch, who was currently bound and unable to do a thing. The boy felt his fire flare and tried to kick Schneizel. The prince hadn't been expecting a violent reaction, but managed to lay a hand against Lelouch's thigh and prevent his struggles. "Is that your only objection?"

"You lying bastard!" Lelouch scolded. "I came here to negotiate! The rules governing negotiation stand, and that is that neither party be harmed! You're so low as to cheat?"

The words were rushed and Schneizel could detect the fear. His expression was passive. "You had no intentions to negotiate with me, Lelouch, so drop that pretence. You were planning to be just as sly as I was, except I won, and now you're nursing a wounded pride."

"This is taking it too far."

"As the victor, I think that is for me to decide." Schneizel squeezed the base of his brother's cock, drawing out a shuddered convulsion from him as he tried to resist the effect it was having on his body. _'It'll be too easy to crush him.'_

Schneizel lowered his head again, sliding down the small body so he was near the erection he held trapped in his fingers. Lelouch knew somewhere in the back of his mind what was about to happen and let go a wordless protest, but then lips were touching the head of his penis and sliding down. He tore into his lip with his teeth as Schneizel swallowed him to the hilt, tightening his cheeks. His hips bucked before he could still them and he gasped raggedly. _'No, no, no.'_

Schneizel's eyes didn't leave the terrorist's face as he lifted his head again, bringing it back down slowly. His saliva contrasted with the air and every time he bobbed upwards, Lelouch would gasp at the sensation. "No-" he said aloud, shaking his head in denial, making the mistake of opening his eyes to meet the blonde's.

The sight of him bent low over his abdomen, mouth curved around his meat, purple eyes shining with smug satisfaction—it was too much. Lelouch blushed profusely and let out a broken moan, suppressing it enough to keep it quiet. The reaction had been what Schneizel had wanted though and he sucked harder. Lelouch's toes curled and he closed his eyes, mental whispers urging him to stay calm and work against this. Schneizel couldn't win.

He told himself that up until a hand cupped his balls and rolled them between smooth fingertips. He was arching upwards into Schneizel's mouth and bending his knees for leverage before he could process what was going on. Even if his shame was burning through his blood like a fire, it felt _good_; so good. His pleasure was building and he knew he would climax. He was powerless to stop it. Hopelessness was mingling with his determination and starting to crush it; he couldn't prevent what was happening and couldn't fight against the second prince at all. So why bother?

'_No! That's what Schneizel wants you to think... don't give him the satisfaction of claiming your mind as well!'_ He was thankful he still had that much logic, though it was fading fast. He had to hold onto that or it would be lost in the whirling myriad of emotions consuming him.

Just as he felt heat pool in his stomach and surge down through his pelvis, sure he was about to explode from the feeling, Schneizel stopped. He wrapped a hand around the base of Lelouch's cock and squeezed, a little painfully this time, cutting off his release as he withdrew his mouth. What was even worse was the small noise that left Lelouch's throat at the loss. Schneizel interpreted it as a whimper and leant up to kiss his brother, grinding down against him as he trapped his head again.

Lelouch could vaguely taste his own pre-cum and feel Schneizel's throbbing hardness, and tried to feel repulsive. It was harder to draw forth the vehement disgust when his mind was clouded with pleasure and that worried him. He couldn't enjoy this.

"Don't get too tired just yet, little brother," Schneizel drawled with a lazy wink.

He sat up on his knees and shrugged off his tunic, divesting himself of the layers and belt that encircled his surprisingly trim waist; like the Zero outfit, the prince's clothes made him seem a little bulkier than he was. Shirtless, he was sculpted like one of the old artworks Lelouch had seen pictures of. He had defined muscles, but they were lean and rippled beneath the skin as he moved, showing the man was a fighter. He didn't fight physically very often, but the strength and talent was there if he ever needed it.

The pants went next, as well as his shoes. They were a little more awkward to get off as Schneizel had to stand from the bed and dump them on the floor. When he stood naked, he was an impressive sight. Like some sort of model. He was tall, dashing, well-built, and very beautiful. All Lelouch saw was a monster though: a monster with a sadistic glint in his eyes. A deceptively beautiful monster, but a monster nonetheless.

Before this day, Lelouch had never even thought about his sexuality. He had just assumed he was straight and left it at that since it played no major role in his life. Unable to miss his brother's erect length, he felt worried and wished again he could break free. He didn't want this; this wasn't fair. He usually had a plan for everything, so where was his brilliant mind now?

"Don't look so concerned," Schneizel purred, smiling, taking his brother's expression to be worry over the fact this would hurt—ego letting him believe Lelouch was impressed by his size.

"This is your last chance to stop this before it goes further," Lelouch said, needing Schneizel to change his mind. He didn't even try to stop the desperation from tinging his tone, making it meeker. "This is _low_. You're above this!"

"Appealing to my morality? Really?" Schneizel laughed. "You must be desperate."

He climbed back onto the bed, leaning over Lelouch, grabbing his throat in one hand. He lifted him off the bed a little as he crashed his lips back down to his, sucking on the little gasps and whispers he was rewarded with for the surprise attack. Grinding his hips down against his brother's, he even managed to draw forth an unwilling moan.

Schneizel suppressed his own vocal reaction to the delicious friction as he kissed down Lelouch's neck, dodging over the puff of lace and rumpled shirt to continue down his chest. He could feel the thumping heartbeat under his fingers and knew the teenager was somewhere between terrified and aroused, warring within himself. That made him all the more vulnerable.

He forced the boy's thighs apart and bent his knees back, exposing Lelouch entirely to him. The terrorist blushed harder, not looking at all like he had at the start of this confrontation; his arrogance and authority were in tatters. "Schneizel—don't! Please-"

He could feel the air touching a place he never exposed to another and his stomach tightened as Schneizel spat on his hand. What the hell was even going on anymore? His thoughts were giving way to panic again and he couldn't stop himself.

"It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would for you to start begging," Schneizel murmured. He could summon Kanon and have him fetch him some lubricant, but he was too impatient and didn't particularly care for Lelouch's comfort. He slicked some saliva over his own length, teasing himself as he held eye contact with the boy beneath him. "Just try to relax."

"No-" Lelouch's protest was cut short as a slick finger prodded gently at his puckered entrance. He shifted his legs and made to resist and straighten them, but Schneizel held him firm and pressed the digit in past the protesting ring of muscle. There was a burn at the base of Lelouch's spine that made him stiffen and suck in air, eyes widening slightly.

"I said relax," Schneizel reminded.

"Stop it."

Schneizel ignored him and moved the finger, bending it experimentally. Lelouch winced in initial pain, shifting to try and dislodge the intrusion in his arse, but Schneizel just kept him in placed as he began working it in and out methodically. Lelouch seemed to think he could defy him by staying tense, but it only made it worse for the boy in the end. It took twice as long to stretch him so he could slip a second finger in.

Lelouch opened his mouth to tell him to stop again, but it seemed so useless; he was being ignored. The fingers hurt, stretching a place no one had ever touched before, and he realised his struggles were only intensifying the discomfort. With a defeated slump, he willed himself to relax and think through what was happening. If he could control himself, not all was lost.

Schneizel added a third finger, felt the slight convulsion, and waited for it to pass. "It will hurt less if you just stop moving."

"Bastard!" Lelouch cursed him and closed his eyes, biting into his lip and digging his nails into his palm. This was humiliating and painful. He could feel every movement of Schneizel's fingers inside him. He could feel every shock of pain vibrate up his spinal cord. He could feel every single sensation and only had the knowledge that it was going to get _worse_ to comfort him.

"Hahaha," Schneizel allowed himself the satisfaction of laughing at that. Lelouch was so helpless. It was hard to picture him as the intimidating figure who had caused Britannia so much grief.

Digging his fingers in deeper as he thrust forward with his hand, he stretched them out to brush against the boy's prostrate. Lelouch tensed and his toes curled with the sudden pleasure that twisted through him as the digits connected with that something deep within in. He wasn't sure what had happened, but white lights exploded behind his eyes and he let out a wordless noise of pleasure.

Schneizel hit it again, and again, making sure to force Lelouch into relaxing with the good sensations. The boy did, almost eagerly, letting out a throaty moan as he pushed back to meet every insertion of his brother's fingers. It was disgusting and he knew that, but the pleasure was so intense. It was overriding everything else. _'Stop—... control yourself. You have to.'_

The fingers disappeared. Lelouch let out a whine, not sure if he was relieved or devastated. The pleasure vanished, but it allowed the fog in his mind to clear a little. Before he could take advantage of the break, however, something much bigger was nudging against his arse. He knew what it was, felt his nausea rise, and shook his head in denial.

"... Hold still."

It was all the warning he had before the blunt head of Schneizel's cock pushed into him. Partway in, the blonde paused, before giving a more forceful jerk of his hips to bury himself completely in the inviting heat. Lelouch couldn't hold back his yell. He even tried to turn his face into the crook of his elbow to muffle it, but it was ineffective. The cry left him feeling panicked, but it fuelled Schneizel's sadism, and the prince gripped Lelouch's hair.

He pulled him up for a rough kiss as he blessed him with a few seconds to adjust to losing his virginity. But it was only a few seconds. Then he pulled back and slammed forward again, drawing forth another hoarse shout. There was no pleasure in Lelouch's voice now.

"Sto-" Lelouch couldn't even get it out. He felt like he was being torn in half, and his mind had just stopped working entirely.

"It gets better if you just _relax_," Schneizel advised for what felt like the tenth time.

After another thrust, when Lelouch didn't improve, he took the boy's length in hand and began stroking it to try and distract him from the pain. It seemed to work, but slowly. Lelouch's deep breaths turned into shallow gasps that were tinged with less pain. Keeping his hand movements up, Schneizel started thrusting again.

Lelouch resisted at first, not wanting it to 'get better'. He'd rather it hurt, a testimony to his unwillingness. If he didn't enjoy it, he knew he'd win, but Schneizel was insistent with his coaxing. He seemed to know just where to graze his fingers, just how to touch his brother to lessen the pain. Lelouch grit his teeth as Schneizel picked up the pace.

The prince moved to set up a rhythm, hand and hips falling into perfect synchronisation. Lelouch's hands jerked against the headboard and he twisted his face into the crook of his arm, having visible trouble controlling himself. At a squeeze on his dick, he lifted his legs a little and tentatively set them on Schneizel's hips, hooking them around him.

The prince didn't say anything to deter the behaviour, but he took silent note of every reaction he was getting. Lelouch moaned a little as his prostrate was rammed into and crossed his ankles around his brother, drawing him deeper, succumbing to the pleasure coursing through him. The pain was fading and he was losing himself to the sensation of Schneizel fucking him. He rarely felt this good and he didn't want to let it go, rationality fleeing him with a few final whispers of dread.

Schneizel bit into his throat, marking him, pumping his hips into the smaller man. Lelouch arched and cried out beneath him, nostrils filled with the musky scent of sex and Schneizel, and his eyelids fluttered partially open.

"Look at me," Schneizel demanded quietly and the terrorist complied, meeting his gaze. He held it, refusing to let him back down as they fucked. It was the most appropriate word for what they were doing: Schneizel's hand tangled through ebony hair, hips flush against the boy's in rough motions that delivered all the attention to his insides, teeth barred in a primal sneer of possession, Lelouch's legs flexing with the effort it took to keep up with the pace. It was animalistic, full of need, and that might be the only thing Lelouch was thankful for when it was done. The lack of feeling might make it more bearable. Maybe.

"Ah," Lelouch breathed, lurching after a particularly deep thrust. His body was being battered into the bed. Schneizel's pace increased until he was pumping into him desperately against the mattress, close to completion, his movements jerky now. His hand sped up on Lelouch's cock, determined to undo him first.

The exiled prince resisted at first, stubbornness shining through again, but Schneizel lifted his legs higher with his other hand—releasing his hair—and altered his angle. Through a stuttered cry, Lelouch arched and called his brother's name as he came in his hand.

The convulsions of the muscles around Schneizel's cock milked his release from him and he drove in once more before his hot seed spurted inside Lelouch, filling him completely. He slumped down onto the boy, more tired than he'd care to admit, and cradled him close. Lelouch was panting and shifting, trying to fight against the reality of what had just happened. The foggy post-climax haze was all that was protecting him for the moment. Schneizel knew this and whispered a soft nothing against his forehead, laying his lips there. "Shh. Sleep for now, little brother."

Reaching up, he undid the handcuffs holding the teenager in place. Vaguely, Lelouch was aware of him producing a key from somewhere he couldn't see in his dimmed peripherals. He guessed it had to be from under the pillow. _'Stupid.'_

Lelouch closed his eyes and sighed as Schneizel slipped out of him. He cut off his thoughts, unable to handle them at all right now, and let himself be pulled against the blonde's firm chest. He was exhausted and couldn't have fought against the strong arms even if he had wanted to. His head fell into the crook of the blonde's shoulder and fingers slid into his hair. "Shh."

At the repetition, Lelouch's brain cut out completely and he sunk into sleep. Upon hearing the deep breathing, the second prince smiled slowly and allowed himself to do the same.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It couldn't have been any later than midnight when Lelouch awoke. He was exhausted, but his body had finally pushed away enough of its shock to turn his dreams into nightmares and wrench him from his slumber. When his eyes flashed open, he experienced a second of sensory overload that sickened him. He could smell Schneizel and sex, his head pounded, pain shook numbly through him, and he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

He stared at Schneizel's chest. His brother's firm arm was around his waist, holding him close, and his nose was in his hair.

'_Oh god...'_

Lelouch rarely let himself slip into despair or lose his composure enough to panic, the previous occurrence excluded from his thoughts, but it was happening. He had had sex with Schneizel. He had _enjoyed _himself. He had surrendered completely to this monster.

'_No! If you give in, he's captured your mind too. Don't let him.'_ His body's reaction had been one dictated by nature. It had to be. If he didn't find something else to blame, he was sure he'd lose his mind. Schneizel had raped him and used his body to make him think he had enjoyed it. But he still lamented; he'd never be able to erase this.

Then he twitched his wrist. It was free. That's right: Schneizel had untied him. His wrists were aching, but that wasn't the point. His eyes drifted to the blonde's face as he lifted a hand to the eye patch sealing off his Geass, sliding it up between their bodies. He touched it experimentally. It was cool and just as solid as he had observed at the start of this encounter.

He drifted his hand back behind his head and found the lock holding it in place. _'A lock. Dammit, Schneizel!' _

He turned a fierce glare on the sleeping man and wriggled back, gently easing the arm off of his waist. His shirt still hung off of him messily and his hair was wild. Upon moving, a more severe agony jolted through his hips and up his back. A gasp flew from his lips and he bit down on it.

"You're awake," Schneizel remarked, not opening his eyes. Lelouch stilled.

Schneizel gazed at him, shifting his arm more tightly around the boy. He pulled him close, placed a hand at the back of his head, and slid his tongue into his mouth. Lelouch's eyes widened and he pulled weakly, but it didn't do a thing.

When they broke apart, Lelouch wiped his mouth, ignoring the red welts on his wrists. "No more of this, Schneizel."

"You had the time of your life," the blonde said, rolling onto his back and allowing Lelouch enough room to breathe. "Don't deny it now."

Lelouch could argue with him, could defend himself, but that would make him feel weaker than he already was. He could scream and rant, trying to persuade Schneizel that what he had done had been against his will, but he would only seem like a child. "I hate you," he whispered fatally.

Schneizel laughed, mildly surprised the boy was controlling his temper so well. "You didn't when I was fucking you."

Lelouch sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, biting his lip against the discomfort. He couldn't suppress a cry though when Schneizel reached down to squeeze his bony left innominate. There was a mouth against his ear and the warm breath forced his eyes shut. "It happened, little brother. Don't try to ignore it."

Lelouch stood, slapped Schneizel's hand away, and turned on him. The pain gave way to anger as he glared. "You had no right to touch me!" He snapped, shaking. "We're _brothers_, and you crossed a line, Schneizel! Don't you dare tell me what to do!"

Schneizel smiled. Lelouch could try to be calm, but he was falling apart. _'Perfect.'_ "Go and take a shower." He nodded towards the bathroom. At the hesitation, he nodded again. "The eye patch can be wet, don't worry."

Lelouch lifted his chin defiantly, not wanting to do as this monster said, but he felt filthy and wanted to wash himself. He grabbed his pants and underwear, refusing to meet his brother's eyes as he collected his clothing. He then made his way to the bathroom, trying to hide the limp that came with a very localised pain in the arse.

He closed the door behind himself and leant heavily against it, closing his eyes. He wanted to cry, but Schneizel would hear him and it really would be an act of defeat. He needed to hold himself together. This was just another offensive move in the war and _dammit_, he needed to stop shaking! This wasn't that bad!

He dropped his clothes to the floor, wrenched off the ones still clinging to his torso, and nearly fell into the shower. The bathroom was elaborate and luxurious. White tiles coated the floor and marble coated the walls. The sink stretched across one side of the room, a mirror taking up the top half of that wall. The shower had glass doors and there was a triangular bathtub in the opposite corner of the room. A toilet sat behind that, a jutting piece of wall sealing it off from the bathing equipment.

Lelouch's hands were unsteady as he turned on the taps, closing his eyes as the water hit him like a truck. It was cold and harsh at first, but it was clean and that was the main thing. He added a bit more heat, ran his hands through his hair, and shuddered as he felt the filth falling down his thighs. He needed every trace of Schneizel gone and away from him so he could forget what had happened. To linger on it would be to surrender his mental stability entirely.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there like that, but it felt like hours. Realistically, it could only have been minutes. Even the ache in his tailbone lessened a little as he relaxed under the onslaught of water. Dark hair drooped into his eyes, but they were closed anyway. It wasn't helping as much as he had hoped. He still felt disgusting, and Schneizel's promise about that rang through his mind from a few hours ago.

Slumping against the wall, he slid to the ground and let the water rain over him. His arse stung for a moment, but then it numbed. He dropped his head into his hands and trembled, using the sound of the shower as a cover as he finally lamented over his costly miscalculation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Schneizel was dressed when he re-emerged, composed once more. Zero's mask was on the bed, the covers remade and no sign of the activities from a few hours ago remaining. Lelouch's stomach tightened and he moved forward slowly, not sure what game his brother was now playing. What was running through his mind?

Beside his mask was the radio he had brought with him so he could contact Kallen when he was done. He had forgotten he even had it. It was switched off; he wondered if she had tried to get in touch with him. She shouldn't be panicking just yet. It had only been a few hours and she was intelligent enough to know something like this could take a while. He had no intentions of telling her how destabilised things had become.

"Feeling better?" Schneizel asked, feigning concern.

Lelouch scowled and pointedly ignored the question. He lifted his mask. "Why return this?"

"I'm letting you leave."

Lelouch froze and turned a wary eye on his brother. He thought he had misheard for a moment, but wasn't about to question the blonde and risk making a fool of himself. "Why?"

Schneizel smiled mysteriously and his eyes glinted. He moved from his spot by the bedpost and circled around his younger brother, running his gaze over him. "Because I have what I want from you. I'm quite happy to let you fall back and reassess your pieces before you coordinate your next move."

Lelouch was still tense. He was just going to give him up? He could turn him in or keep him here and be done with it. Did he hope this blow would be enough to make the Black Knights destroy themselves? Was he hoping he had destroyed their leader? Lelouch was suddenly angry—passionately so. But he hid it. "It's always been about the game with you."

"It's never the prize that matters," Schneizel said. "It's always the journey to it. In this case, it's the _hunt_."

'_A true predator.'_ Lelouch hoped his assumptions were right and that the prince didn't have anything more sinister up his sleeve. "This could be a fatal mistake on your part, Schneizel."

"A bit like coming here was for you?"

Lelouch bit back a harsh retort and looked away. Schneizel continued. "I do hope you've learned your lesson, little brother. Unfortunately, it seems we cannot reach an agreement with our negotiations. I will escort you back to Area 11 where you will return the Knight of Seven and disperse before I change my mind."

Lelouch held his breath as Schneizel came up behind him and undid the eye patch sealing off his left eye. He felt the strong body behind him and was confused when it didn't move away. "Put your mask on," the prince prompted.

Lelouch fought not to flinch at the voice near his ear and set the mask back over his head, hiding his face. He could still use his Geass while wearing it, but Schneizel would avoid his eyes. The second prince was the furthest thing from an idiot and would not screw up so easily. There really was nothing more he could do here. He should just be satisfied he hadn't been detained here indefinitely and that his cause wouldn't suffer. But he felt like he'd lost so much for nothing.

"If you do try anything between here and the settlement, I might alter the conditions of this truce," Schneizel murmured.

Lelouch was furious his brother just went ahead and considered this a truce. He straightened and turned, noting how the blonde had already turned away from him. Hiding his eyes. He ground his teeth together. "Just get me off of this ship."

He could see the twitch of Schneizel's lip from just glancing at him side-on and suppressed more rage. He needed to get out of here. He refused to think about how he might feel if the prince wasn't letting him walk away. _Letting_ him. Again showing who had the power here. He blanched as he made for the door and Schneizel steadied him with a hand in the middle of his back.

"Don't touch me," Lelouch said, shrugging it off. Schneizel didn't persist.

They shared no further conversation as they left the room and located Kanon, Schneizel issuing orders to take them down immediately. The redhead said nothing as he obeyed and Lelouch tried to be patient. He would deny what a huge failure this really was until he was allowed to dwell on all the implications.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

As soon as the radio buzzed, Kallen had it lifted to her ear and Suzaku was leaning in eagerly. They'd been waiting for this for hours and had refused to even bring up the topic of sleep. It would be too impossible with their lack of faith in one another. It was half past twelve when Zero did finally buzz in and she was thankful it wasn't too late.

"Meet me at the edge of the settlement," Zero said. "Bring Suzaku."

"How did negotiations go?" She asked.

There was silence for a moment, and then the line came back to life. "Be there in fifteen minutes, Kallen."

She took the hint. "Yes, Zero." Then the line was dead and Suzaku was already moving for the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The journey to the edge of the settlement went quickly and Zero seemed to have guessed where they would go, even without discussing it with Kallen beforehand, because he was waiting there when she and Suzaku came from that direction. Schneizel stood with him, Gino and a row of guards a few metres back. Schneizel's order was the only thing keeping them at bay.

As soon as they came into sight, Gino moved forward and waved a hand. "Kururugi!" He called, expression shining mischievously. Suzaku very nearly rolled his eyes.

The brunette moved towards the line of guards when Kallen and Zero didn't stop him. He bowed to Schneizel on his way. "Your highness."

"Regain your post, Knight of Seven," Schneizel said with a thin smile.

Suzaku straightened and moved past, Gino instantly swinging him into a hug. He pressed his teeth together and sighed against the friendly contact. The blonde knight was always very physical with their friendship. "Good to have you back," he said, ruffling the brown hair.

Suzaku shot him a warning look. They were still in a formal situation right now. Gino didn't seem to care and rested on his shoulder. "How was your time with the Guren pilot?" He asked, sending Kallen an appreciative glance.

Suzaku tried to shrug off the tall boy to no avail. "If you shut up, I'll tell you later."

Gino silently accepted the deal and settled for grinning, watching the redhead approach Zero's side. Then Schneizel clasped his hands together, blonde hair waving in the breeze. Attention was drawn back to him as he spoke.

"Negotiations, though uneventful, are complete," he said to the terrorists. "You are both to leave immediately. If you return, the rules governing negotiations no longer stand."

Lelouch was still shocked by Schneizel's behaviour. He said nothing, turning with Kallen and making his way out of there as quickly as possible. He didn't linger to study Suzaku and see how his friend was. He didn't linger to question Schneizel further. He didn't linger to try and get more information. He needed to go. His tolerance for the situation was withering.

Kallen didn't complain as he made haste, following obediently. He knew a thousand questions burned in her mind and shut down her curiosity with one short sentence. "Though that failed and Schneizel is more capable than I thought, our plans to crush Britannia will not be affected."

She nodded enthusiastically, smiling a little, clearly just as surprised he had come out of there as he was. He had thought the only way would be to conquer Schneizel. Apparently his brother was a sadist, or just too arrogant for his own good. Regardless, Lelouch was more grateful than he'd admit that Kallen didn't ask for any more details. He knew he wouldn't be able to give them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It was just past two in the morning when Lelouch finally got home. He'd met with the Black Knights again—or those that were awake and willing—and informed them of the lack of progress. He left out that it was a complete failure and feigned satisfaction with the meeting. He diverted attention by focusing on their plans to crash the wedding, which they had accepted readily. The hardest part had been hiding his limp from them.

He managed to get inside without alerting Sayako, though the maid was probably aware of him entering. She didn't force a confrontation on him though and he was thankful for that. Rolo would already be in bed as well.

He made his way up the stairs and retreated to his room. He had another shower, scrubbing himself until his skin was raw, and dressed for bed. He wasn't surprised to see C.C. waiting for him on his mattress when he re-entered the room. The witch's eyes were sharp and nearly glowed in the dark as he approached.

How she had gotten here so fast, he didn't know. She'd been at the brief meeting he'd had with the other Black Knights. "I'm going to bed," he said.

She shifted over and let him lay down. She was silent as she watched him slip under the covers, doing the same so that her weight wouldn't pin them down. She waited until his eyes had closed for a few minutes before she spoke. "What happened with Schneizel?"

"I told you what happened," Lelouch said evenly. "I failed in earning his allegiance. He eluded me."

"I know there's more to it than that, Lelouch."

Lelouch was quiet. He knew the witch was clever and observant, but he had been hoping she wouldn't see through this. He had been trying to erase the entire thing from his mind since he had left the Damocles and had no desire to dwell on the memories. Each time he recalled a touch or sensation, his stomach clenched and he nearly vomited.

"Tell me," she urged. "What happened up there? Why couldn't you use your Geass?"

She wasn't about to let it go. Lelouch looked at her and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he whispered

She reached up to brush some hair back from his face. He flinched, snapping back from her—in fear or surprise, she couldn't tell, but it alarmed her. They stared at each other and Lelouch couldn't deny the reaction. Pain shot through his spine again and Schneizel's hands were back on him, teasing his nipples, brushing over his sides, sliding between his legs. And he was _enjoying _it.

His eyes slid closed. "I made a mistake," he said.

C.C. didn't risk interrupting him, so it was a few seconds before he could continue. "He was prepared for my deception and drugged me before I could issue a command. He discovered who I was and I wasn't able to stop him."

Her expression was politely attentive and a little sympathetic, but she knew that alone wasn't causing Lelouch's distress. Something else was very wrong. She nodded slowly. "If he let you walk away, he mustn't have any intentions of revealing your identity."

"He won't," Lelouch said, sure in his conviction. If Schneizel just wanted to expose him, he would have done it. No. The prince wanted to ruin Lelouch—ruin him completely. He wanted to attack the part of Lelouch that was hardest to bring down: his mental state. His composure. His mind. And he had targeted it in a way that made it difficult to fend off.

The memories were swirling through his head again and he closed his eyes. He had surrendered so completely to that monster and given him just what he wanted. He had _lost_. He had lost more than a chess game this time. His innocence, his purity, had gone to Schneizel of all people. He wasn't so vain as to lament about just losing his virginity. He felt disgusting that it had been his brother he had lost it to and that he had been so vulnerable. He tried to tell himself he was overreacting, but the thoughts lingered.

C.C. silently reached out and pulled him to her, just as she had when he had been forced to murder Euphemia—the one sibling he had actually liked and even loved. She forced him to seek comfort in her and only then did he break down. It wasn't messy; it was silent and composed and entirely Lelouch. But it was heartbreaking.

She decided she would not question it further, though she couldn't shake off a few suspicions entering her mind. She had seen the dark mark on the side of his neck, no longer hidden by the costume he had been wearing earlier. She identified his masked limp for what it was. They both worried her, but she would leave Lelouch with his privacy. For now, she just hugged him, letting him know someone was there and he wasn't alone. That was sometimes more than some people got and she knew how underestimated it was. Lelouch didn't take it for granted though and guiltily lost himself to his shame and pain.

He promised that in the morning though he would put this behind himself. He would wake up and he would take Schneizel down. He would prove to his brother that he was not so easily beaten. His plans would go ahead. Nothing had changed. He would stop the wedding Britannia had organised. He would get Nunnally back and he would defeat Britannia.

But for tonight. For tonight and tonight alone, he was Lelouch Lamperouge—a human. A teenager. He was a scarred boy with a heart full of grief. And he let it out. Because it would be of no benefit to him when he awoke.

* * *

**A/N:** That's it! Thanks for reading. :)


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